Apologies for the lack of recent blog content, too much time spent away
from the bike. Thankfully, the sun has been out and a new purchase has
rekindled the passion for two wheels.
The latest purchase is proof that my 'one bike for all' test almost
worked. Time also had to be allocated for a spot of tweaking and
personalising the new bike. That allocation of time has resulted in a very
frustrating and time consuming experience.
I’ve decided to replace my go to bike – Boardman CX Team
with a Boardman CXR 9.2. The price was right - without sacrificing a family
holiday! The CX team is up for sale and being someone who wants the new owner
to enjoy their purchase and not have to spend time fixing and adjusting, I
decided to do the right thing; replace cables, brake pads, deep clean etc etc.
The fun really started when I started to change the gear gables on the SRAM
Rival Double Tap levers.
Let’s take a moment to think about who the SRAM Rival components/groupset is
aimed at. Would I be wrong in suggesting that it is at the lower/mid end of the
groupset spectrum? For someone on a budget starting out? As fitness and ability levels improve, they may also start to consider replacing and upgrading components from the same manufacturer to ensure that everything works. That user may also have
plans to build skills and knowledge in bicycle maintenance, buy tools for the
job and have a sense of achievement in making the bike run smooth and quiet. If
that’s the case, SRAM think about your user! Maybe I’m wrong and naive, maybe the market is the bike manufacturers looking to shift units and accessories.
Sometimes, a single speed is the only way to escape |
The interface and experience of a product does not start and
finish at the immediate touch points. For me, and I'm sure many of us out there,
who take pride in maintaining and servicing our bikes. Well thought out
placement of fasteners and clear access to mechanical features provide you with
a sense of confidence that the team responsible for bringing that product to
market have considered us, the market. In the case
of SRAM Rival (I don’t have knowledge of their other gruppos) this is far from
the case. I have never had to refer to bike forums to workout how to change a
gear cable. I have also never wasted 2 hours of a lovely sunny evening also
fitting said gear cable. If I had recently started cycling and fell into the 'user profile' listed above, the experience would result in me never specifying SRAM components or considering bikes with their groupsets.
Have Shimano closed the patent loop hole to such a degree
that the competition are really struggling to improve upon STI component
packaging? If this is the case, should we accept that the trade off with
combined brake/shifting is the complexity of the actual components and how to
maintain it? In short, no. At one point
last night I had an image of a very helpful and understanding bike shop
mechanic looking forward to an early escape and heading out into the sun. Just at
that point, in walks some chap, his rear mech cable has snapped and he really
needs to get the bike fixed asap. Good luck and there goes today’s servicing
profits!
I’m wondering what levels of training and product
awareness are now in place for bike mechanics? I was recently chatting with a bike
industry rep and he had an interesting take on the proliferation of Standards, he
prefers Options. I can appreciate the marketing logic behind Options. If I ever
have the opportunity to spec a custom bike with Options, where would I start? Note to self: One bike for all rule kicked into the long grass, I am now thinking about a new MTB. Hydro
Electrical rear set up, cable front, or go 1 x whatever, 29+ boost rear end with 5" Full Fat hub spacing upfront,
frame geo corrected for suspension for when I want to fit electro active bouncy
forks that understand the terrain based on previous rides, GPS data and telemetry.....We have now entered the generation of syncing ourselves and bikes to apps. The
developments are no doubt exciting and keeping the jockey wheels of the trade lubed.
However, I am wondering what the total user experience and journey will be
like? How long will that Option remain current before it is made obsolete by more ratios, mm/inches (don't you just love the unit of measurement wonders of the bike trade) and girth? If my recent experience is anything to go by, I sincerely hope that the current
company making the e-generation headlines has got their act together.
Stay upright and connected
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